The Zone

[NAVVARR]

So, how many of you have been in 'The Zone' -that feeling you sometimes get when playing shooters when your playing so well, avoiding everything the enemy can throw at you- amazing even yourself with your amazing gameplay.
Can you get yourself in 'the zone' - how do you do it- or is it one of those fleeting things that just happens sometimes and no matter how much you try you can't emulate it when you want to.
Me, i've been in 'the zone' when playing 'Starforce' -i used to play it in the arcades when i was younger -i think the furthest i ever got was about 'lambda' section. -Today, I felt pretty good playing Geometry Wars on my Wii and then instantly went to pieces when I realised that I was 2 million points off getting a 'silver' in some planet i'd been struggling with.

What are your experiences with 'the zone' - can you switch it on and off when playing shooters- how do you do it?- does it even exist? -is it merely luck mixed with good reactions?

[CIT]

Interesting topic! I was actually thinking about starting a Zone discussion recently too!

To start off: Does "the zone" exist?

Yes, it definitely does, and everybody has experienced it before. Maybe not when playing shooters, but certainly when being really absorbed in a book or a movie, or when driving on a straight highway for a really long time.

Scientifically this is what essentially would be called a state of hypnotic trance - a state of heightened awareness of your subconscious mind.

The problem is indeed, that it is hard to replicate this effect on demand, and hard to maintain it, and not "snap out of it" by being distracted by something else.

I think it would be an interesting experiment to see how a player performs under hypnosis. A hypnotist could suggest to a player that they will dodge all bullets, and then make them play a shooter under trance. I think the results might be surprising.

Maybe at some point I'll make an audio file with a trance induction and relevant suggestions, and share it here. Then people could test if they notice any difference.

[henry dark]

sounds like you should try playing while stoned

[jonny5]

sounds like you should try playing while stoned

QFT

you ever played ketsui....on wee-eeeed?

[CIT]

The cabbage actually reduces your concentration and psychomotor cordination, so no - you're just really gonna suck when stoned.

[jonny5]

sounds like you should try playing while stoned

QFT

you ever played ketsui....on wee-eeeed?

jon stewart...half baked.....no?

you had to be there

[captpain]

The cabbage actually reduces your concentration and psychomotor cordination, so no - you're just really gonna suck when stoned.

Nah. I have made some of the most significant progress in shmups while stoned. Alcohol kills it, though, I suck drunk.

[ZOM]

I may be wrong since I'm still new to shmups with "complex" scoring systems, but I think
such games make it harder to get in to 'the Zone' mainly because they're not purely reaction based,
you have to do quite some thinking, for example in Raizing games where you have strategic bombing/suiciding...

[NAVVARR]

sounds like you should try playing while stoned

Haven't played whilst stoned, but been drunk plenty times and I can't play at all.
Funnily enough, I find that drinking coffee really ruins my reactions- i'd have maybe thought that the caffeine boost might make me play better, but no- it doesn't. Which maybe implies that to be good at shooters you need to be able to relax, switch off and calmly watch, react, assess and dodge whilst keeping as cool and switched off as possible.

I'd be interested to hear the result of the 'hypnosis' experiment- might be quiet interesting to see what happens.

[Drascin]

I have entered the Zone, yes, but rarely with shooters - it's most usual when I'm playing fighting games. Suddenly, I enter a sort of trance and proceed to kick the ass of pretty much anything in front of me with combos and counters that I usually don't have the reflexes to even set up.

Main problem is that, afterwards, I'm never entirely too sure of what I did to win.

[power UP]

The cabbage actually reduces your concentration and psychomotor cordination, so no - you're just really gonna suck when stoned.

Nah. I have made some of the most significant progress in shmups while stoned. Alcohol kills it, though, I suck drunk.

I think that really depends on the person. I can't do shit when stoned, I actually dont smoke weed anymore, because it just turns me into a vegetable.
If you want to take drugs maybe try megnut, I had my best Quake games while on that shit. For the first time I really felt like "getting the game" like being Neo in the Matrix lol.

Anyway, as for being in the zone I'd just say it is practice pratice practice, and trying not to overthink your play. Don't think "okay now dodge there, then he is going to do that so I'll go there" etc, just let your muscles and mind do their work, don't force it.

Had some awesome experiences with Quake here as well, came back after a long break, first game, AND I DID MY MOST FUCKING AWESOEM MIDAIR I ever. I kinda expected nothing out of that game, and played very relaxed because I wasn't under pressure.

http://www.amazon.com/mental-edge-poten ... 757&sr=8-1
You guys maybe interested in this book, just skipping through it helped me a lot. Basicly it elaborates on the things I said above.

[Kollision]

Playing sleepy or drunk is suicide, it's just good to risk yourself dying and uncovering secrets and moves you wouldn't probably find while playing seriously.

A while ago I had come to the conclusion that the best time to play and get into "the zone" for me was when I got home after work, between 6h30 and 7h30 pm. Or maybe half an hour after lunch.
But then I changed my mind, it doesn't really matter. I just have to be very much awake.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

I was in the zone when I pulled off a 1CC on a Klax upright cabinet at my local arcade hangout back in May of 1994. I had to guess that it was about a solid two to two & 1/2 hours of playing (and warping at the appropiate times) to reach and beat Wave 100.

When you finally play Wave 100, the goal is to score 250,000 points. Once you score that minimum, then the CPU will award you an extra one million points added to your overall score. ^_~

I was once asked by famed LX Rudis (ex-Atari Games employee who did the sound effects on the Klax PCB) how I became so good on Klax -- I said that I used to play the NES Tengen version of the same name for countless hours on end. At first, I couldn't see any rhyme or reason as for the random tiles coming down the conveyor belt. It was then, I realized that one has to make do with the given colored tiles and play with that. If one could pull off some wacky multi Klax chain, more power to him or her. Practice enough and gameplay will become a breeze indeed. ^_~

A Klax PCB will tell how long an average Klax gaming session is if one selects the Histogram in the Arcade Operator's Menu selection screen. So somewhere, there is a lone Klax PCB out there with my 1CC record.

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Icarus]

This thread is full of psychobabble and nonsense.

"The Zone" does exist in a way, but it isn't some Matrix-like bullet-time state-of-enlightenment rubbish that some people are making it out to be. It is simply muscle memory and recall. By constant and efficient practice, you can do sections, stages and whole games from muscle memory, where you're executing strategy without really thinking about it.

[PC Engine Fan X!]

For Icarus,

When I was playing the last few Waves upon reaching Wave 100 on the Klax cab, it seemed that no matter what the CPU would throw at me, I managed to overcome it. And this wasn't some pattern based arcade puzzler but a pure random one generated on the fly so with a cool and calm demeanor, one could achieve such a 1CC session on Klax. Anything is possible given enough practice for any arcade game session in any genre (and just not limited to just shmups). ^_~

Ever try playing a Fast Tile Wave? Those particular Waves are crazy fast if you don't achieve the required number of Klaxes in time. Take too long and you're done for. All this was done on a Klax cab with a dedicated 4-way Atari Games joystick setup that was included in a Klax PCB kit or dedicated Klax cab. ^_~

If you can score two million points or more by Wave 7 or Wave 8, you're considered better than the average Klax gamer...you're a skilled one indeed. ^_~

The real reason why the PC Engine/TG-16 version of Klax has extra features not found on the original PCB version is that Atari Games/Tengen went back to the drawing board and asked what could be improved on the basic Klax gaming engine and the end result is what we have in our hands. So the PCE/TG-16 version of Klax is the definitive "one" to own/play. ^_~

PC Engine Fan X! ^_~

[Taylor]

I wanted to post the part in Ping Pong where Peco reaches ping pong euphoria, but it appears the internet doesn’t have it.

[NAVVARR]

This thread is full of psychobabble and nonsense.

"The Zone" does exist in a way, but it isn't some Matrix-like bullet-time state-of-enlightenment rubbish that some people are making it out to be. It is simply muscle memory and recall. By constant and efficient practice, you can do sections, stages and whole games from muscle memory, where you're executing strategy without really thinking about it.

I don't read much psychobabble or any matrix references in this thread.
Its a genuine interest in asking whether any other fellow shooter fans manage to beat their games through sheer dogged perseverence, sheer luck, or perhaps they can train their brains to recognise patterns and therefore hone their skills when playing shooters.
Are people born with the ability to be good at shooters or is it something you can develop?

Nothing to do with psychobabble- actually some pretty simple questions really.

[jpj]

Maybe at some point I'll make an audio file with a trance induction and relevant suggestions, and share it here. Then people could test if they notice any difference.

"3...2...1... and relax... you are the STG god ... bullets will never collide with you ... you are one step ahead ... pm me your paypal details ... you will beat the last boss ..."

billy mitchell doesn't believe in the zone

i'm not sure... i used to think that when your adrenaline is going, your senses are heightened, and that's what helps. but personally, i find i play best when i imagine myself explaining my playing with a running commentary to someone ("i move here, tap C, kill that dude, tappity-tap, easy"). maybe that's "positive mental attitude"? envisioning everything going successfully, or something. but actually playing in front of people, i tend to do a lot worse than usual

[Icarus]

...or perhaps they can train their brains to recognise patterns and therefore hone their skills when playing shooters.

This.

Are people born with the ability to be good at shooters or is it something you can develop?

Humans are born with a lot of variation in mental and physical capabilities, but like everything from strenuous physical sports to chess, proper conditioning and maintenance is the key to improvement. Not reliance on some difficult-to-document "heightened state of awareness". If you practice efficiently, you'll start to see improvement.

And this is coming from personal experience.

[PROMETHEUS]

This thread is full of psychobabble and nonsense.

"The Zone" does exist in a way, but it isn't some Matrix-like bullet-time state-of-enlightenment rubbish that some people are making it out to be. It is simply muscle memory and recall. By constant and efficient practice, you can do sections, stages and whole games from muscle memory, where you're executing strategy without really thinking about it.

+1

[captpain]

This thread is full of psychobabble and nonsense.

"The Zone" does exist in a way, but it isn't some Matrix-like bullet-time state-of-enlightenment rubbish that some people are making it out to be. It is simply muscle memory and recall. By constant and efficient practice, you can do sections, stages and whole games from muscle memory, where you're executing strategy without really thinking about it.

You would say this, you strategy thread writing lesson plan making old man.

But yeah you're definitely correct.

[NAVVARR]

I don't see where you're getting these references to 'the matrix' -i've not even mentioned the film- incidentally i personally hated the film, it bored me - watched the first, half watched the second and ignored the third.

When I mention about training your brain to be good at shmups, I suppose i'm talking about trying to learn to concentrate on only the things that might harm your ship, whilst concentrating on other factors such as powerups- lives, score etc etc.

I'm really not interested in some discussion about 'the matrix' -i am however interested in how you guys pick up and play a shooter- do you intensely and conciously try to dominate the play area- or do you sit back, shoot and let the action come to you- sidestepping and moving in reaction to the enemy patterns.

I'm sure there are probably a lot of different styles to playing shooters- anyone want to discuss them- or are we all going to keep going on about 'the feckin matrix'.

Me, i tend to play my shooters in a non aggressive way, i usually hang back- play safe, dodge, look for ways out of tight spots- i don't tend to move unless i have to. -I'd say i'm kind of passive playing my shooters.

Anyone else want to throw in their experiences...

[jpj]

i only play in the dead of night, usually midnight to 2am.

if anything, i would say i play "methodically". i spent three hours last night trying to decide whether i should hyper the midboss of doj at the start, the middle, or the end. (the answer is the end ). but yeah, i guess i need silence and no distractions. good surroundings is key to obtaining the zone

[moozooh]

I managed to live through the worst patterns of DOJ Death Label's 1-3 and 1-5 (3rd form) bosses… for like 5-6 seconds without dying. That's the Zone for you, bitches.

[power UP]

I mentioned Neo, but it was about drugs, not the zone per se.

[CIT]

Humans are born with a lot of variation in mental and physical capabilities, but like everything from strenuous physical sports to chess, proper conditioning and maintenance is the key to improvement. Not reliance on some difficult-to-document "heightened state of awareness". If you practice efficiently, you'll start to see improvement.

Keep in mind that we are NOT discussing here what makes one person a better player than another.

We are discussing here why one player does not always perfom equally well at the same game.

Even if you're an expert player you will not be able to excel during a run, if your mind is being distracted by other things, such as the fight you had with your girlfriend, your credit card dept, or the job you'll be losing next week. If you want to do well, you will have to "zone out" these concerns of your conscious mind, and let your unconscious (which must be conditioned through practice) take control.

So you definitely DO need to be in the right frame of mind to perform well at a shooter.

This is also the reason, for example, why so many martial arts stress the importance of meditation.

[thamasha69]

i only play in the dead of night, usually midnight to 2am.

I am the same way. This is MY time...away from everything else - friends, family, phone calls, etc. I look forward to this every day.

Regarding the zone, my last 1CC was a couple months ago with Bakraid (yes I know, not difficult, but it was a great feeling for me). I am a pessimist by nature and also have high anxiety and OCD. I used to see a psychiatrist for depression (last year actually). I was at an incredibly low point in my life and then I got a GREAT job opportunity...something that has changed my life and attitude more than nearly anything else. The night I found out I got said job, I fired up Bakraid and cleared it. Coincidence? Irony? I dunno. But when things feel right I usually enjoy my time spent playing games more.

[agustusx]

the zone can be entered but if you acknowledge or notice it, you tend to fall out.

It's fun to hit the zone in fighters versus friends, but they will ALWAYS remind you of your performance to jinx you.

Definitely a clear mind state IMO.

[Ex-Cyber]

This thread is full of psychobabble and nonsense.

"The Zone" does exist in a way, but it isn't some Matrix-like bullet-time state-of-enlightenment rubbish that some people are making it out to be. It is simply muscle memory and recall. By constant and efficient practice, you can do sections, stages and whole games from muscle memory, where you're executing strategy without really thinking about it.

I think in your zeal to dismiss the "Matrix-like bullet-time state-of-enlightenment rubbish", you virtually dismiss the entire phenomenon. You're right that memorization is involved, but the catch is the "executing strategy without really thinking about it". That's more than raw memorization, and it's been reported in situations where purely executing a memorized set of actions doesn't work (e.g. team sports). I don't think it's an altered state of consciousness (as that phrase is usually defined), but clearly something unusual is going on.